Silence TonyPepper
by Queenhaq
Summary: How Pepper Potts finally agrees to marry Tony Stark. Please note: spoilers for Infinity War.


_**3 months ago**_

"Pepper?"

"Tony."

"About that question I asked you."

"Which one?"

"Yesterday. After that MIT conference."

"The one you missed, leaving me to do all the work?"

"To be fair, I was saving the world."

"You were smoking up with college students."

"They _are_ the future. And I was inspiring them," he quips. "So, about that proposal."

"I said no."

"To the one at the press conference. But you didn't give me an answer for the one yesterday."

"When you were high out of your mind?"

"That's the one." Tony keeps tinkering with his latest gadget.

"I thought rolling my eyes was an answer."

"Change your mind yet?"

"No."

"So the answer is still a 'no'?"

"Resoundingly so."

"Is that a firm nope or is there room for negotiation?"

She smiles, working away on the latest projections on Tony's laptop. "When you stop putting your life in danger, we can negotiate."

"How about I only risk my life once a month?"

"How about never?"

"So you want me to retire from the superhero gig? I'll have to find something else to do."

"Besides driving me crazy?"

"Golf. Knitting. Chaperoning the kid's dances."

"I'm sure Peter will love that."

"Happy and I can start a book club."

"When was the last time you read a novel?"

"Me? Never. Too busy getting laid."

"That's what I thought."

"I can start with the classics. Peace and War."

"War and Peace."

"Crime and Punishment."

"I'm sensing a theme."

"Maybe I'll take up baking."

"Friday, please check the status of the smoke alarms," Pepper requests without missing a beat.

 _"Functioning properly."_

"Don't you have a birthday that comes around every year or so?"

"Weirdly enough, yes."

"I'll bake you something. Strawberry shortcake."

"Stab me instead. It'll be less painful."

"How's June?"

"My assistant or the month?"

"Both."

"Warm."

"Perfect time for a wedding."

"I prefer winter."

"December it is then."

Pepper surreptitiously regards him as he saunters closer, takes a seat on the couch beside her, places her legs on his lap and starts to rub her feet. A grateful sigh escapes her lips while she leans back against the cushions, feeling the tension leave her body.

"Wedding planner. We need one," Tony declares, smirking.

"Oh, is there going to be a wedding?" Pepper asks innocently.

"Or Happy could do it."

"I don't think so."

"He's been dreaming about this day for years."

"Has he now?"

"Let's not break his heart."

"We wouldn't want that."

"So, big party. Invite everyone we know. Somewhere nice, classy. Vegas?"

Pepper chuckles, her laughter shifting to an amused smile while he leans in closer. His breath hums against her cheek as his fingers deftly unloosen her ponytail.

"What do you think?" he murmurs, tracing the curve of her ear. "Three? Five?"

"Two. Four. Are we quoting random numbers now?"

She can sense his smile against her cheek. Heat pools in her stomach, the mad rush of excitement swirling through her as his tongue lingers over the sensitive corner of her neck.

"Kids. How many?"

"None."

He pulls back, surprised. "Really?"

"Too busy babysitting you."

Smirking, he returns to nipping her neck. "At least two. That works, right? I don't want the kid to get lonely."

"Peter or your nonexistent child?"

" _Our_ nonexistent child," he corrects.

Pressing her hand on his chest, she forces some distance between them. His mouth has a way of doing things to her body that absolutely wrecks all coherent thoughts in her brain, but this is serious and she needs him to understand that. "I don't want to be a single mom."

His eyes darken, and he leans forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "You won't be."

"I want to believe that."

"Remember how you forced me to see a shrink?"

"To help you process all that stuff with Steve and your parents. And you were a stubborn ass about it-"

"But I went, and I'm still going, because you said it's important. And it's the only way you'd consider getting back together."

"I may still change my mind," she mutters.

He rests his chin on her chest, smiling at her affectionately. Her heart soars, the way it does every time he looks at her with so much love. "I'll do whatever it takes to make us work."

"Except for not annoying me."

"That's part of my charm." His fingers start to unbutton her top. "So, December. Wedding. Vegas. Two kids."

"Only one of those things will actually happen."

"Which one?"

"Guess."

"I'm thinking the wedding."

"You'd be wrong."

Before he can speak she closes her mouth over his, kissing him fervently, and he's too immersed in her to quip any further. Later she's resting in his arms, nestled against his body, completely naked save for the engagement ring on her finger.

"Looks good on you," he says, raising her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"And not at all ostentatious," she teases, remembering thinking it was a little too glitzy for her. But after the many, many times Tony proposed using the ring, she's grown attached to it. After all, the ring says as much about her as it does him and he's not one to be understated. He has a penchant for big and bold, and at least it's not hideous like the oversized stuffed bunny he once gifted her with.

"Did you notice that it fits perfectly now?"

"It's as if I gave Happy my measurements after the second time you proposed and he went and had it altered," she retorts.

"Is that what happened? Didn't notice."

"I'm not surprised." She traces the ring with her thumb, pensive. "Just because I'm wearing the ring doesn't mean I'm saying yes."

"Sweetheart, I think that's exactly what it means."

"I reserve the right to change my mind."

He smirks, hugging her tightly.

* * *

 ** _Today_**

Pepper stares off into space, oblivious to the multiple email notifications ringing on her laptop. She's numb, a body hollow of any emotions after weeks of drowning in anger and despair. Even now she expects Tony's voice to come through the intercom, snarking at her. The house is empty, haunted, with reminders of him lurking in every corner.

Half the universe has disappeared, everyone is in mourning. And yet, she feels all alone, like no one understands the depth of her loss. He was her whole world, her only family, and now he's gone and she has no idea what to do. To think she'd be used to this, it's not like it's the first time he's disappeared, but somehow it feels even worse now. The not knowing, the gnawing pain of unfulfilled dreams, the complete shattering of her heart.

Happy's grinning face pops up on her phone. It's his fourth call today. She knows she should be grateful that he's still around, that he didn't dissipate into ashes like so many others, but it's like the part of her that used to love and appreciate people no longer exists. These days when he harps on her to eat something, go to work, keep the company running, she just wants to be left alone and herself surrounded in silence.

Silence.

Tony's constant chattering used to be a salve on her frayed nerves but now her world is quiet. She hates it yet can't bring herself to get out and end the blackout.

A door opens and shuts somewhere in the house, and she prepares herself to be lectured by Happy. If it wasn't for him holding down the fort, Stark Industries would be even more of a mess than it is right now. He's the one dealing with the remaining employees in the wake of the disappearances and security concerns - something she should be doing but can't. Any minute now he's going to come barreling upstairs to yell at her, and she's already exhausted at the thought.

Except he doesn't, and a part of her begins to worry. While she's reverted to nothingness to deal with Tony's loss, Happy copes by binging. In the past few weeks he's put on a lot of weight and she suspects he's in the kitchen now, dealing with his pain.

After what feels like an eternity of talking herself out of bed, she finally gets up and heads downstairs to the kitchen. He's not there, and she wonders if he's gone downstairs to Tony's workspace.

"Pepper."

That voice. _His_ voice, from behind. Is this a delusion? A figment of her imagination? This has happened before. So many times she woke up in the middle of the night dreaming of Tony's return only to be disappointed and devastated.

She turns around.

Tony.

Scratched-up. Bruised.

 _Alive_.

"Miss me, sweetheart?"

Her body shakes with tears, her face crumbles, and she finally lets herself go.

 _The End._

 **A/N - Loved the movie, and I've always loved the pairing. I can't believe it's been ten years since I wrote my first Tony/Pepper fic.**

 **If you enjoy my writing, I hope you give my novel a shot. Link can be found on my profile page.**


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